True Crime, Nothing More

~ Tell us the title: Serial Murder 101
~ Who penned this work?: Bridget DiCosmo
~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: Borders went out of business, I got it for 60% off I think.  There was probably a reason it was still on the shelf.
~ Number of pages: 294
~ Time passed from start to finish?: 10 daysish
~ Describe the cover: Two pictures of Krajcir, a man that reminds me of Dr. Death, perhaps fitting;  There are also three pictures that I'm guessing belong to victims of his.
~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:  True Crime
~ Summary of the basic plot:  Timothy Krajcir (I don't know how to say that either) was a serial killer that went out with a whimper.  This book follows his escapades in a very matter-of-fact manner while attempting to draw personal connections within the story and to the reader.
~ Background information on the story/author: Krajcir is/was (don't care if he's still alive) a rapist and murderer.  And, from the back page, "Bridget DiCosmo is an award-winning crime reporter for the Southeast Missourian, a daily newspaper in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.  She pursued a graduate education at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and holds an undergraduate degree in history from St. John's University in Queens, New York.  When she is not digging into the world of crime, Bridget relaxes by riding horses and spending time at home with Bandit, her King Charles spanieal, and Natalie, her cat."
~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):  I felt like the whole thing was a long, drawn out bore of a story.  I love true crime, which is likely the only reason I was able to finish this book.  On numerous occasions I found myself frustrated by repetitive metaphors and elaborate descriptions of simple events.  It reminds me of the writing in A Date with Death, which I'm working on reviewing currently.  Coincidentally (or not so much) both DiCosmo and A Date with Death's  author are reporters.  The tie between them seems to explain the struggles they both had in creatively telling a true story.  If you're writing a paper article, you've got three lines to express three paragraphs.  In Serial Murder 101, DiCosmo fails to increase the juicy details of the story, while expanding on the three line articles she writes day-to-day.  Furthermore, any personal connection misses wildly while over-emphasis on certain "connections/coincidences" runs rampant.  
     Overall, it was a frustrating read.
~ Which page was your favorite? Share why:  I made it through the whole book without a single dog-eared page, so I'm not sure I was intrigued much.  However, I did find it interesting that someone was convicted and died while in prison for "committing" one of the crimes that Krajcir confessed to committing.
~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?  I wouldn't make a movie out of it, there was nothing spectacular about it.
~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: "The current Mount Vernon police chief suggested that the confession was a phony and should cast serious doubt on Krajcir's credibility" (pg. 287)  Very interesting that a police official, whom the public trusts, is unwilling to even consider they may have made a mistake.  Pointing the finger at someone else never helps, it will catch up with you.  
~ Choose your rating:
          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere
~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page.  "About a half hour north loomed the Pocono Mountains, a coal-mining region marked by several large ski resorts and scenic lakes."

History, Science, Personal Triumph

~ Title: The Immortal Life of Herietta Lacks


~ Penned by: Rebecca Skloot


~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: Kevin (my bro) gave it to me for Christmas.  Thank You!


~ Number of pages: 328


~ Time passed from start to finish?: A week


~ Describe the cover: Orangish-red cells with a picture of Henrietta in the top corner


~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Biography, Science, Bestsellers


~ Summary of the basic plot: A background on the what are probably the most important human cells in biomedical history.


~ Background information on the story/author:  Henrietta Lacks was a woman that died much too young of cervical cancer.  A researcher at Johns Hopkins developed a cell culture using her cancerous cells which led to countless discoveries which have saved millions, probably billions of lives.  The author is a science writer whose articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine; O, The Oprah Magazine; Columbia Journalism Review; and in numerous other publications.  She has taught non-fiction in the creative writing departments at the University of Memphis and the University of Pittsburgh, and science journalism at New York University.  This is her first book.


~ What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it): Awesome!  This book combines science, history, family, and incredible writing.  It reads like a novel (though non-fiction) and I couldn't put it down.


~ Which page was your favorite? Share why: There's a page (somewhere) that Zakariyya receives a gift from his sister.  It moved me reading about a hardened, embittered individual softening, if only for a moment.


~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? Henrietta - Viola Davis, Rebecca - Erin Cummings, Deborah - Octavia Spencer


~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why: one of many, this is a book that I could see myself reading a number of times: "In February 1954, Southam loaded a syringe with saline solution mixed with HeLa.  He slid the needle into the forearm of a woman...then pushed the plunger, injecting about five million of Henrietta's cells into her arm."  

In today's world where everything must receive informed consent, it is appalling to me that this ever happened.

~ Choose your rating:
          - Changed. My. Life.
          - I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
          - A definite page-turner
          - Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
          - Why did I waste my weekend on this?
          - A disgrace to paper everywhere
Definitely one of the best books I've ever read, in this case the rating is more of a, "I laughed, I cried, You HAVE to read this"




~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page.  (Page 2) "I first learned about HeLa cells and the woman behind them in 1988, thirty-seven years after her death, when I was sixteen and sitting in a community college biology class." A book 22 years in the making is destined to be great.